Introduction: Parenting a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is challenging for mothers because of concerns related to behavior, difficulties in accessing specialized care, and lack of community acceptance, yet their stories in Jordanian context are still unknown. Common challenges in Jordan include financial burdens, lack of public awareness, and lack of specialized knowledge even among health care providers, which may lead to delays in obtaining the diagnosis and interventions for ASD. Method: A phenomenological descriptive approach was used to explore and understand the mothers’ everyday lived experiences of raising a child with ASD. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 mothers to identify their challenges so that nurses can identify gaps in services, empower families, and facilitate optimum care to these Jordanian families. Findings: The main themes that emerged were (1) mothers’ journeys with the diagnosis, in which mothers recognized the abnormalities of their children, reported delays in getting the diagnosis and initiation of treatment, and described a wide range of reactions to the diagnosis from grief and guilt to a blessing from God; (2) the burden of care, by which mothers reported physical and emotional exhaustion, financial burdens, and concerns about the quality of available services; and (3) the consequences and the hurdle of having a child with ASD, which affected the family relationships and social life. Discussion: Jordanian mothers caring for children with ASD face several challenges, including physical, psychological, financial, and social challenges, in addition to limited specialized services. Identifying their unique challenges and needs are essential to support them, provide appropriate services and resources, and develop policies and guidelines for culturally competent quality services.

Background: Breastfeeding preterm infants is shown to have important health benefits for both infants and mothers. A positive relationship between mothers and healthcare teams and supportive practices tend to facilitate maternal competence and promote early initiation of breastfeeding within neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Purpose: The aim of this study was to understand attitudes and behaviors of healthcare professionals toward breastfeeding practices and supporting mothers of preterm infants. Methods: This study adopted an ethnographic research design that involved 135 hours of participant observation over a 6-month period and semistructured interviews of 10 nurses and 5 physicians. Results: Data analysis suggests that while staff members agree with the benefits of breastfeeding for preterm infants, the actual implementation of a breastfeeding policy within NICUs is problematic. Three key themes emerged. The first described the contradiction that exists between the staff beliefs and behaviors in relation to breastfeeding and supporting mothers. The second theme was related to staff working conditions, which described the lack of institutional support and barriers to supporting breastfeeding. The final theme of controlling relationships captured the essence of the practitioner to mother association. Together, these elements revealed a situation whereby the staff appeared more preoccupied with addressing the task of caring for the babies than with supporting mothers in feeding and subsequently caring for their preterm children. Implications for Practice: The institutional barriers to breastfeeding promotion within NICUs should be addressed by healthcare providers. Actions that provide a supportive environment within NICUs for both mothers and nurses are essential to improve the overall quality of care. Implications for Research: Future research may include an examination of hospital policies and practices of promoting breastfeeding for preterm infants.

Circulatory Ferritin concentration varies with age, sex, and body composition. Studies that determine the relationship of different body weight measurements with plasma ferritin concentration in adolescents are lacking. A descriptive cross-sectional design was utilized. Data collection involved self-reporting demographics, blood samples, and body composition measures for a sample of 814 healthy Jordanian adolescents. Ferritin deficiency was observed in 55.8% of the study population. Simple linear regression showed that BMI, gender, location, and smoking status 2.5%, 3.9%, 0.4%, and 0.4%, respectively, associated positively with plasma ferritin level (p < 0.05). After controlling for gender, location, and smoking status, additional hierarchal multiple linear regression showed that BMI explained 2.2% of plasma ferritin (p < 0.000). However, the obesity-stratified hierarchal multiple linear regression, showed that BMI explained 2.1% of plasma ferritin in the overweight and obese (HI) adolescents (p = 0.02), but not in the under and normal weight (LO) adolescents (p = 0.91). After controlling for gender, location, and smoking status, the ANCOVA showed that plasma ferritin level was greater (p < 0.000) in the HI (19.00 ± 13.6) versus the LO (15.20 ± 10.4) obesity group. Our results indicated that normal ferritin level among obese people does not necessarily indicate normal iron storage.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the maternal and newborn services in Jordanian hospitals to provide policymakers, health professionals, and researchers with a clear picture about the current status of maternal and newborn health services. Methods: A total of 32 main hospitals that provide maternity services in Jordan were assessed. The study involved direct observations of these hospitals and interviews with basic health and hospital staff, with the purpose of assessing and evaluating the availability of various services for mothers and newborns, availability of resources, equipment and supplies, documentation and staff training, and provision of the health care services. Results: Some hospitals had shortages of obstetricians and gynecologists, pediatricians, neonatologists, and midwives/nurses. Antenatal care was not provided systematically in many hospitals across the country. A lack of necessary equipment, drugs, and supplies was evident in some hospitals. Admission departments of some hospitals had insufficient supplies. The operation theaters in many hospitals lacked a variety of necessary equipment including some basic items such as thermometers and some advanced items such as resuscitation sets for babies. Only two-thirds of all delivery rooms in the selected hospitals had radiant heaters and obstetrical stethoscopes available. A significant lack of neonatal ICU equipment was found such as incubators, resuscitation tables, continuous positive airway pressure, O2 oximeters, and phototherapy. Conclusion: The findings revealed an overall satisfactory quality of maternal and newborn care and services, however, some deficiencies existed. The findings are expected to aid policymakers, health professionals, and researchers to recognize the gaps in the processes, supplies, and quality of care related to the provided services at maternal facilities and help them to design and implement evidence-based health programs in order to provide effective health services and promote the health of mothers and newborns.